In 1862, the Civil War ravages the country and twelve-year-old Jimmy Lambert learns of his father's death in battle. His widowed mother believes that sending Jimmy to his uncle in Ohio is the best thing for him, but Jimmy has other plans. When he meets Betty, a fellow runaway, he escorts her to her home in Kentucky. But the trials of post-Civil War America weigh heavily on the survivors and Jimmy must use his perseverance, wits and ingenuity to find his true path. This inspiring tale illustrates how the United States and its people not only survived, but flourished despite the difficult conditions created by the aftermath of one of the deadliest wars fought on U.S. soil.